Friday, November 28, 2014

Blurb:After being left at the altar, Callie Spencer needed a fresh start. She
accepted a position as the Children's Librarian in a small Vermont town determined to leave the bad memories behind. After tragically losing his wife, single dad Tom Sullivan is too busy raising his 4-year-old daughter to
look for love, that is, until he meets Callie. Can these two fragile souls find love and heal their
broken hearts?

Blurb:Megan Duffy needed to get away from the city after a broken engagement. A few days
at her family's cabin could be just what she needed. She's looking
forward to the peace and quiet, that is, until she meets hunky general store owner, Ryker
McCabe. Can Ryker put the light back in her eyes and heal her broken
heart?
Kindle Unlimited and Amazon Prime: Borrow the book for FREE.

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Can you
give us a brief overview of your latest book? Is it part of a series?

Ah, yes. Pandora Wild Child is my third book although it’s
published before my second book. Confused? No worries—I’ll explain a little bit
further down. Pandora Wild Child is the quintessential New Adult book, treating
the issues and hilarities and passion ensuing from being a young woman who’s
finally away from home and FREE! Pandora is everything most of us have a sliver
of. She’s daring, wild, charming as hell, and gets herself into all sorts of
trouble in her first year in college. Some of it being some serious boy
trouble. There’s the strong relationship between Pandora and her girlfriends, and
the pretty explicit passion. I loved writing this book, and I’m so excited over
the response it’s received.

Do you
have a favorite character?

I don’t, really. They’re all so different, and when I write,
I want to get to the marrow of every character in such a way that I love them
with their perfections and their flaws. Pandora is loveable, annoying, funny.
Dominic is hot as hell but so is Leon in all of his twisted, dark glory. I can’t
choose. J

Have you
ever had a minor character evolve into a major one? Did that change the
direction of the novel at all?

Yes, I have. It’s what happened to Leon, but instead of
changing the direction of this novel, I just finished the first draft of his
own novel, Leon’s Way, which will be out hopefully in December.

Did you
try the traditional route to publishing, i.e. querying agents/publishers?

Yes, I did! It’s a lot of hard work, but you really grow
both as a writer and within the promotional area when you try to meet their
standards. I recommend this route to every author who is serious about their
writing—for the road to get there, not necessarily for the goal of having such
publisher or agent. It is worth it. My first two novels are with a medium-sized
publisher, Wild Rose Press. The new adult paranormal, Shattering Halos, was released February 22nd, and the
second one, a standalone sequel about a side character all my readers loved—Stargazer—will finally, finally be
published November 21st! With Pandora
Wild Child, though, I decided to try the indie route for the first time. I’m
loving it, because I get to decide everything myself. Leon’s Way, Pandora Wild
Child’s standalone companion novel, is definitely a self-published one as well!

How long
before you got your offer of representation/your first contract? Was it for
your first novel?

Yes, it was for my first novel, Shattering Halos. It took me about 9 months, I think, between
starting the process and signing the contract. Before that, though, I revised
and rewrote the book probably 10 times, because obviously, your first try at a
novel isn’t going to be perfect. It was damn polished by the time it went out
to the agents and publishers.

What
factors influenced your decision to go with a particular agent or publisher?

I was sick of waiting. Haha! The Wild Rose Press was big,
and I knew I wouldn’t get in with the biggest five without an agent or without
having a name already. I wasn’t ready to self-publish yet and needed the
confirmation that such a big publisher thought my work was talented enough to
take on. They gave me that confidence. Even more once I’d signed for Stargazer, the second book, because it
was too edgy for them, and they still took it on because of the merit they saw
in it. Now, I feel deserving of the readers in a different way.

Are you
currently under a traditional publishing contract for future books or do you
have manuscripts that you will self-publish? Are you doing both?

I am now, as of October 28th, officially a happy
hybrid author! I don’t have any future manuscripts under contract with anyone,
and I am going to keep it that way! Unless I get an offer I can’t reject from
Atria at some point in the future. That would be the dream. ;-)

What
factors influenced your decision to self-publish your book(s)?

Freedom, freedom, freedom! Which is why Pandora Wild Child was the perfect choice to start this new journey
with. She’s free, as am I!

If you
used a graphic designer/publisher’s designer, how involved were you during the
creative process for your cover?

Thankfully, my publishing house respected my fear of not
getting a cover I could live with. Because of it, they went outside their
normal procedures and let me work directly with an awesome designer, Diana
Carlile. I was very involved, and I adore my covers for Shattering Halos and
Stargazer. With Pandora Wild Child, I knewI needed the same sort of communication with my designer,
and with Clarise Tan, my cover artist as a self-published author, I was allowed
to try out even things she knew would not work. I love her so much, and again I
am just insanely happy with my cover for Pandora. Can’t wait to have Clarise
work on Leon’s Way with me in a
couple of weeks. We’re almost there, Clarise!

Do you
belong to a critique group? Have they helped improve your writing?

Yes, oh, absolutely. I can’t imagine having to spot every
logical issue and understand what others would understand of my writing without
a support group. With my first book, I “used” 7 fellow authors as my
soundboard. Now that I’m finishing up my 4th book, I’m down to 4
very critical and honest authors with amazing writing and editing skills. My
work is safe with them. I’m able to publish the best I have to offer at this
point in my career with their backing. I will never take them for granted, and
I hope we always work together! I also use a group of beta readers afterward,
who are great at giving me feedback.

What’s
next for you?

Watch out for STARGAZER, coming November 21st, another
super-hot, angsty New Adult book with a paranormal element. If you liked SC
Stephens’ Thoughtless, if you enjoy the show Vampire Diaries, Stargazer should
do it for you. I’ll take you for quite the ride in this book, but I promise
that everyone will land on their feet; I can’t picture myself ever write
something without a HEA. I adore these characters, and as crazy as it sounds
coming from their maker, I’d love to meet Cassiel and Ka in person. They are…
something else. ;)

Then there’s LEON’S WAY. My estimated release date for this
book is December 19th, but it all depends on logistics. If you liked
Pandora Wild Child and are dying to learn more about Leon, this read should
give you a fill you won’t forget any time soon. For the actual release date,
sign up for my no-spam new-releases-alert newsletter: http://bit.ly/sunnivasreleases

With my
Scheuermann’s disease as the excuse, my father kept me locked up at home all
through high school. Here in Deepsilver, I can finally be me, Pandora, so—

Why the hell should I hold back?

They
accept our fake IDs at Smother, our local haunt. I’m the life of the party,
everyone loves me—hell, I could get away with murder in this place! Drunk off
my ass, I dance on the bar, and—

I’m on top
of the world!

I need to
get my shit together, though. If I don’t pull off good grades, my father won’t
pay my tuition. There’s no way I’m moving back into his “fortress.”

At the
bar, I set my eyes on a gorgeous stranger. My plans don’t involve him long
term; one night should be enough. But Dominic is more than I bargained for.
God, I’m so drawn to this man. My skin hums at his touch because—

I write New Adult fiction with a paranormal twist and don’t
shy away from romance and heart-wrenching passion when necessary.

I moved from Norway to the United States in 2001, and the first awesome
five years I spent in the San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles. Then I
read “The Book,” aka Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, which spurred
my husband and me to move cross country to beautiful Savannah, Georgia.

I’m currently on my seventh year in the Deep South, where I enjoy the heat
and the humidity. Besides writing, I spend my time with our “petting zoo”
as in an opinionated parrot, a herd of cats that are experts on keyboard
shortcuts, and puppies that…uh, bark.

I hold a Master’s degree in languages, with concentrations within literature
and linguistics. I taught at college level for a decade before settling
in as a graduate adviser at the Savannah College of Art and Design.

Writing is my passion, my joy, and my addiction. When I’m not writing, I read.
Shattering Halos is my debut novel, and its standalone sequel, Stargazer, is
due out later this year.

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Hope couldn’t believe it, but she readily reached out and put her
hand in his.“Then I guess this place is
aptly named.”

Beckett carefully pulled her to her feet.“What do you mean?”

“I saw some of the signs as I was walking down the driveway
earlier.This place used to be called
Winter Park.If the view is how you
described, I’m just saying that name is fitting.”

Beckett didn’t respond, but he did pull her in close.“You scared the hell out of me earlier, you
know that right?”His arms slowly slid
around her waist.

Hope’s breath caught in her throat.“I didn’t mean to scare you,” she said softly, looking up into his dark
eyes.

“I know.You meant to piss
me off,” he chuckled softly as one hand came up to caress her cheek.“I’m glad I found you.”

“Me too.I can’t even being
to think what would have happened if you hadn’t come when you did.”

“That’s not what I meant,” he said quietly, and bent his head
toward hers.

“Beckett…”

And then his lips touched hers and silenced her.Hope was too surprised to react at
first.It was everything that she
remembered – soft, exciting and very arousing.The man certainly knew how to kiss.As if they had a mind of their own, her arms came up and rested on
Beckett’s broad shoulders.They were
pressed together from head to toe.

His lips were slowly sipping from hers as if he was giving her time
to say no or to push him away.Hope knew
this instinctively and raked a hand up into his hair and pulled him closer-
making sure he couldn’t misinterpret her decision.

“Moonlight in Winter Park” – A modern-day Beauty and the Beast
style Christmas.

All Hope Cooper needed this year was to have the kind of Christmas
her family always cherished. But with her parents gone and her only brother
having to work, it doesn’t look like it’s going to work out for her. There’s
nothing she can do about her parents, but she most certainly can voice her
annoyance at her brother’s boss for making him work out of town all through the
holidays.

Beckett James hates the holidays and everything that goes with
them. They were important at one time, but now the only thing that mattered was
his company and it’s continued growth and anyone who worked for him better feel
the same way. If not, then they could find employment elsewhere and good
riddance. With a major expansion deal on the line, Beckett needs to focus. What
he doesn’t need is Hope to come barging into his mountain retreat demanding
that her brother come home immediately due to an emergency.

Suddenly it’s two alone in a snowstorm. Two alone for Christmas.
And two alone to fight an attraction that had been there all along. Hope soon
begins to realize she may have misjudged Beckett while he comes to see that
there really is something special and magical about Christmas. But once they
leave their private winter wonderland and return to their normal lives, will
the magic still be there?

New York Times and
USA Today Bestseller/contemporary romance writer Samantha Chase released
her debut novel, Jordan's Return, in November 2011. Although she
waited until she was in her 40's to publish for the first time, writing
has been a lifelong passion. Her motivation to take that
step was her students: teaching creative writing to elementary age
students all the way up through high school and encouraging those students
to follow their writing dreams gave Samantha the confidence to take
that step as well.

When she's not working on a new story, she spends her time reading
contemporary romances, playing way too many games of Scrabble or
Solitaire on Facebook and spending time with her husband of 25 years
and their two sons in North Carolina.

Series#1 When dating ends in deaths and threats, Molly might be better off staying single. During one of Molly’s weekly meet-ups with her girls at their regular bar, Molly succumbs to the duress of her two best friends and begins the aggressive dating they sign her up for online where the pairings are questionable… and dangerous. They’ve entered her in an evening of speed dating. But at the end of the evening she finds an item from her past that raises questions, grief… and danger.
When the number of deaths surpass Molly’s goodnight kisses, her past pushes into the present and Molly loses much more than she gains. A stalker has focused on Molly and refuses to let anyone else date her. But she refuses to be single for the rest of her life.
Is Molly doomed to a life of singledom wrapped in fear – or will the stalker turn on her

#2, Oh No, He Didn’t!
Molly is ready to meet up with her first date – Crisco Ethan. But first she has to survive threats at work and fear at home. Will Brad-the-bartender make a move or flirt from afar? The stalker is closing in and Molly has a terrible feeling she won’t stay untouched for long. Can she lean on Brad or is her heart pushing her toward danger?

#3 Dinner for Two
Getting ready to message her next date, Molly comes across an email from the stalker that might tear her apart. The aftereffects swallow her sanity and she struggles to stay in the everyday while battling the knowledge that he can find her anywhere. Nowhere is safe.
Is Brad as involved as circumstances suggest? Or is a man out there that wants nothing more than to keep her all to himself – dead or alive?

#4 Don’t Look Back!
At work, a special delivery slams home the seriousness of the situation. How many more lives will be affected by the man’s obsession with Molly? Molly’s stalker attacks close to home.
Can she find safety? Can anyone?

#5 Dirty Twist
The stakes are high and Molly has learned how desperate her stalker has made her. Tormented with more kidnappings and deaths, Molly searches for answers in all the wrong places. Will she find what she’s looking for? Or will her fear continue to paralyze her, leaving her open for the ultimate end?

#6 Check Mate
What precautions can a single girl take to protect herself from a sociopath? Why, move in with the crush and bring his ass in to play the game, of course. Even with all the bravado, Molly still learns she has a lot more to lose. Can she come back from the turmoil? Or is she doomed to misery for the rest of her short life?

#7 Last Chance
In a desperate attempt to save someone she cares about, Molly faces her would-be killer.
But who it is devastates her. If the killer has their way, Molly will die at their side.
Can Molly escape or will she finally be on a Date to Die for?

Bonnie R. Paulson mixes her science and medical background with reality and possibilities to make even myths seem likely and give every romance the genetic strength to survive. Bonnie has discovered a dark and twisty turn in her writing that she hopes you enjoy as much as she has enjoyed uncovering it. Dirt biking with her family in the Northwest keeps her sane.

Okay, I'm a total cheater. When I make sugar cookies with my
kids, I use the Betty Crocker sugar cookie pouches. It's just so much easier!
We can bust those cookies out in no time. But I do make homemade frosting and
the secret I learned from my grandma to make the frosting taste extra
delicious? Include a splash of coffee. Yes, coffee! Sadly, she doesn't make
sugar cookies during the holidays anymore but I do. Trying to keep up the
tradition!

Frosting recipe:

2 cups powdered sugar

1 stick salted butter

1-2 tablespoons of milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Splash of coffee

Stir until desired thickness/consistency. Taste test to make
sure it's sweet enough to your liking! Then get to frosting all those cookies.
;)

TEN fun, romantic holiday novellas by ten New York Times
& USA Today bestselling authors
An all-star gathering of some of today's most popular NYT and USA Today
bestselling romance authors in a fun-filled collection...holiday style! With
the overwhelming response to the chart-topping summer boxed set, we've
brought together even MORE of your favorite authors for a winter compilation,
and this time, we've giftwrapped TEN stories for you all. From the funny
& sweet, to the STEAMY & heartfelt, each novella is packed with a whole
lot of romance, and hand-picked to infuse perfectly-portioned holiday cheer
into your busy days this season...along with hot bursts of holiday steam for
those winter nights.

And at just ***99 CENTS USD*** that's
a huge savings of over 95% off
retail for the individual books sold separately! This is an extremely
limited edition bundle available for just 5 weeks so get your copy today!

THE BOXED SET INCLUDES:

IF I RETURN -- by USA Today bestselling author Sawyer Bennett
WILD IRISH CHRISTMAS -- by New York Times bestselling author Mari Carr
SEDUCING SANTA -- by New York Times bestselling author Janelle Denison
(aka Erika Wilde)
DECKING DREW -- by New York Times bestselling author Violet Duke
FAIRIES & WISHES -- by USA Today bestselling author Karen Erickson
(aka Monica Murphy)
TWELVE DATES OF CHRISTMAS -- by New York Times bestselling author Jessie
Evans (aka J. Evans)
HOLIDAY SPIRIT -- by New York Times bestselling author Cathryn Fox
UNWRAPPED -- by New York Times bestselling author Melody Grace
A CHRISTMAS HEAT WAVE -- by New York Times bestselling author Alannah
Lynne
HIS CHRISTMAS WISH -- by New York Times bestselling author Marquita
Valentine

Readsy's Best Book Blog 2017

Sign up for Debra's Newsletter

Want to be the first to know about new releases, contests and special deals? Sign up here.

* indicates required

Email Address *

First Name

Last Name

Email Format

html

text

mobile

My Romance Facebook Page

NetGalley Top Reviewer

Review Status

CLOSED FOR SUBMISSIONS:

I have an overwhelming TBR pile at the moment and am NOT accepting any new books for review.

The books reviewed on this site are either digital copies or ARCs sent by publishers or authors. I never accept payment in exchange for a review.

Total Pageviews

GUEST POSTS ARE WELCOME!

If you are interested in contributing a guest post for Two Ends of the Pen, please send me an email at:dlmartin6 AT yahoo DOT com.

Your article/post needs to have some relevance to writing, books, ebooks, epublishing, tips for blogging, marketing strategies, etc. You get the idea--really, anything to do with books and being an author in general. I've also highlighted a number of guest posts in the sidebar to help you understand what I'm looking for in a post.

I look forward to sharing your posts with my readership.

Requesting an Author Interview

If you would like to request an author interview, please send an email to dlmartin6 AT yahoo.com and let me know if you are strictly an indie author or an indie/traditionally published author. This way I can send you interview questions to suit your book(s). All the questions are just suggestions, you may add/change/delete any of them.

Put "Requesting Author Interview" in the email subject line. Interviews are posted on a first-come first-serve basis and will be posted ASAP depending on the backlog of other posts for the blog. In addition to your interview spotlight page, you will also be added to the list of Author Interviews page.

Please do NOT ask me to review your book in your author interview request. I am CLOSED to review submissions.

Contact Me

If you would like to contact Deb directly, please send a message to:dlmartin6 [at] yahoo [dot] com.